200th Anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans
A tour of French Quarter sites and buildings connected to the Battle of New Orleans through fact as well as legend.
Locations for Tour
1. Battle of New Orleans: Introduction
Almost 200 years ago, on January 8, 1815, Major General Andrew Jackson and his outnumbered American defenders overwhelmed veteran British troops at the Battle of New Orleans. The battle took place five miles downriver from New Orleans in Chalmette,…
2. Battle of New Orleans: Jackson Square
Formerly the Place d’Armes around which New Orleans was built, Jackson Square, a National Historical Landmark, is now the most prominent location in the “Vieux Carre” or Old Quarter. On December 18, 1814, Jackson reviewed his troops on…
3. Battle of New Orleans: St. Louis Cathedral
Facing Jackson Square and the Mississippi River, the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States. With its three steeples, St. Louis Cathedral, as it is commonly known, is…
4. Battle of New Orleans: Cabildo and Presbytere
Viewed from Jackson Square, the Cabildo appears to the left of St. Louis Cathedral. The Cabildo, built under Spanish rule in 1795-1799, is the site of the Louisiana Purchase Transfer ceremonies in 1803 and Louisiana’s most important historical…
5. Battle of New Orleans: Pirate’s Alley, The Arsenal, Creole House & Jackson House
Walking out of Jackson Square toward St. Louis Cathedral, Pirate’s Alley appears on the left, between the Cathedral and the Cabildo. Formerly known as “Orleans Alley,” the passage is one block long, extending from Chartres Street at Jackson…
6. Battle of New Orleans: Maspero’s Coffee House
Maspero’s Exchange, also known as Maspero’s Coffee House and now called the “Original Pierre Maspero’s,” is located at 440 Chartres Street, on the corner of St. Louis and Chartres Streets, nearest the river and Canal Street. The original…
7. Battle of New Orleans: Old Absinthe House
The Old Absinthe House bar is located at 240 Bourbon Street. This stucco building at the corner of Bourbon and Bienville Streets, one of the oldest in New Orleans, dates to approximately 1806. In the nineteenth century, the Old Absinthe House…
8. The Old Federal Courthouse, Now the Andrew Jackson Hotel
The Andrew Jackson French Quarter Hotel, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located at 919 Royal Street, the former site of the old United States courthouse where Major General Andrew Jackson was indicted for contempt of court and…
9. Former Home of Presiding Judge Francois-Xavier Martin
Judge Francois-Xavier Martin, a Louisiana Supreme Court judge for thirty-one years, from 1815 until his death in 1846, first acquired 915 Royal Street in 1818 for $7,500. At that time, a two-story brick house with a tile roof was situated on the…
10. Battle of New Orleans: Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop
For many years, a bar called “Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop” has occupied this building at the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Philip Street. Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1970, Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop was built between 1772…
11. Battle of New Orleans: Old Ursuline Convent
Almost 300 years ago, in 1727, the Ursuline nuns arrived in New Orleans at the invitation of Governor Bienville. While awaiting the completion of their convent in 1734, the Ursuline nuns established a school and an orphanage. The Ursuline Order…
12. Battle of New Orleans: Fort St. Charles/U.S. Mint
The United States Mint was once the site of Fort St. Charles, one of the defenses built in 1792 during the Spanish period. Fort St. Charles was the largest of five fortifications surrounding the city. Spanish Governor Baron Hector de Carondelet noted…